Review: ‘Odette’

The film recaptures all the essential details of Odette's adventures as a secret agent in France during the last war.

The film recaptures all the essential details of Odette’s adventures as a secret agent in France during the last war.

In the production of a factual story of this type [from the book by Jerrard Tickell], presentation inevitably tends to be a bit jerky. Herbert Wilcox’s facile direction mainly succeeds in overcoming this difficulty. Logically, too, he has used French or German dialog when justified.

Acting is uniformly good. Anna Neagle puts all she’s got into the playing of Odette. Trevor Howard gives a smooth and confident interpretation of Capt Peter Churchill, the British agent whom she subsequently marries. Marius Goring plays the counter-espionage officer with a genuine conviction while Peter Ustinov gives one of his best performances as the secret radio operator.